The occurrence of Angiostrongylus vasorum in terrestrial slugs from forests and parks in the Copenhagen area, Denmark

Abstract

A total of 298 slugs belonging to four species, Arion lusitanicus, A. ater, A. ater rufus and Limax maximus, were collected from six different localities within a radius of 30 km from Copenhagen and examined for naturally acquired Angiostrongylus vasorum infection. Overall, 28 slugs (9%) were infected, but the prevalence varied among the studied localities: Rude Forest (26%), West Amager Forest (18%), Jaegersborg Forest and Deer Park (8%), Frederiksberg Park (4%), Assistens Cemetery Park (0%) and Frederiksberg Botanical Garden (0%). Only third-stage larvae (L3) were recovered from the slugs, in numbers ranging from 1 to 392 per slug. Overall 82% of the infected slugs harboured fewer than 10 larvae and only 14% harboured over 100 larvae.

Infections with cardiopulmonary and intestinal helminths and sarcoptic mange in red foxes from two different localities in Denmark

“…Most of the currently recovered cardiopulmonary nematodes are transmitted via invertebrate hosts, which are highly dependent on optimum environmental conditions (Gortazar et al 1998;Ferdushy et al 2010), host feeding habits, season and host aggregation (Rajkovic-Janje et al 2002;Davidson et al 2006;Saeed et al 2006) for its development and ability to transmit infective larvae to the final host. The currently observed increase in the prevalence and abundance of A. vasorum among foxes compared to previous studies in Denmark (Guildal and Clausen 1973;Bolt et al 1992;Willingham et al 1996;Saeed et al 2006) might be related to the increase in the abundance of snails in the currently studied area (Ferdushy et al 2009). The increased prevalence of A. vasorum in foxes might enhance higher transmission rates to dogs (Jefferies et al 2010), unless adequate preventive measurements are implemented.…”

Spontaneous Shedding of Metastrongyloid Third-Stage Larvae by Experimentally Infected Limax maximus

“…Both natural and experimental infections of A. vasorum and experimental infections with O. rostratus in L. maximus have been reported previously (Ferdushy et al 2009, Klewer 1958, Lange et al 2017 (Anderson 2000, Grewal et al 2003. The addition of L. maximus as an intermediate host for these metastrongyloids is consistent with the view that this group of parasites lack gastropod intermediate host specificity.…”

Angiostrongylus vasorum: the ‘French Heartworm’

“…This nematode has an indirect life cycle with a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic gastropod as obligatory intermediate host and members of the Canidae family as definitive host (Rosen et al 1970;Guilhon and Cens 1973;Bolt et al 1992;Borque et al 2008;Ferdushy et al 2009). A. vasorum was first discovered in Toulouse, France by Serres in 1853, from the right side of the heart and pulmonary artery of a 2-yearold pointer dog (Rosen et al 1970;Bolt et al 1994).…”